A review by cmaree88
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
<strong>I never loved video games, but I love this book</strong>
My godfather recommended this book, and though he is very widely traveled, I don't believe he's ever played a video game in his life. But my partner is a big-time gamer, and I thought I would check out the book first since I read faster. Reader: I loved it.
This book mainly follows Sam and Sadie, two video game creators who meet as pre-teens (right before her bat mitzvah) and reconnect in college. We are mainly in their third-person POV. The book covers nearly 30 years. At times it felt like Bridge to Terabithia, or Bone Clocks, or even Beach Read.
But this being a book about and inspired by video games, everything isn't that straightforward. We have an omniscient narrator at times, seeding interviews and events of the future. We get an incredibly poignant second-person nonlinear dive into another major character. And we play some games, in-world. Yes, there are also a lot of SAT-level words, but it all works.
I am not a gamer, but I do love good storytelling and complex relationships. This book has all of that and more. There are common themes of friendship, love, grief, jealousy, and more. But the rich characters and their drive to create are inspiring.
I also enjoyed the discussions on sexism, relationship power dynamics, anti-Semitism, homophobia, racism, and classism. It's all woven into the storytelling, and you're never beat over the head. Depression is a major theme as well, very relatable.
My godfather recommended this book, and though he is very widely traveled, I don't believe he's ever played a video game in his life. But my partner is a big-time gamer, and I thought I would check out the book first since I read faster. Reader: I loved it.
This book mainly follows Sam and Sadie, two video game creators who meet as pre-teens (right before her bat mitzvah) and reconnect in college. We are mainly in their third-person POV. The book covers nearly 30 years. At times it felt like Bridge to Terabithia, or Bone Clocks, or even Beach Read.
But this being a book about and inspired by video games, everything isn't that straightforward. We have an omniscient narrator at times, seeding interviews and events of the future. We get an incredibly poignant second-person nonlinear dive into another major character. And we play some games, in-world. Yes, there are also a lot of SAT-level words, but it all works.
I am not a gamer, but I do love good storytelling and complex relationships. This book has all of that and more. There are common themes of friendship, love, grief, jealousy, and more. But the rich characters and their drive to create are inspiring.
I also enjoyed the discussions on sexism, relationship power dynamics, anti-Semitism, homophobia, racism, and classism. It's all woven into the storytelling, and you're never beat over the head. Depression is a major theme as well, very relatable.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual violence and Suicide